


you bet jurass

by hoememade



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King, Jurrasic World, Jurrasic World (2015)
Genre: Dinosaurs, Flashbacks, Lack of Communication, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mystery, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), background stanlon if you squint, dinosaur death :(, dinosaurs!!, eddies angery, jurrasic world au, loose jurrasic world au, mostly angst, richies a dumbass, wow im bad at tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2019-11-06 06:56:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17934989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoememade/pseuds/hoememade
Summary: “Excuse me?” Richie cocked his head, picking up the half empty glass around and spinning it around to stir the liquid that sat inside before he sipped at it. Eddie coughed awkwardly and Richie must have took that as some kind of hint. “Oh. Oh. Have we met before?” He winked at Eddie saucily, playful grin displaying teeth that were just too big for his mouth.Eddie just stared at him.[Eleven years ago, they uncovered everything bad together. One left and one stayed behind. But when an executive at Jurassic World asks to meet with Eddie after protesting without consequence for ages and the executive turns out to be a familiar figure from his past, he is dragged, kicking and screaming, back into the thick of it. Things are made even worse when disaster strikes and he is forced to team up with the asshole who forgot all about him.]





	1. the prolouge

**Author's Note:**

> hi so this is the first ever thing im posting on ao3 and im very nervous!! im very proud of this fic and this idea and i really hope you all will enjoy it as well! first things first, this fic is not an exact au of the movie so please don't expect eddie running from a dinosaur in heels or anything. but it is pretty compliant to the universe and follows the plot of the movie kinda closely! second of all, i definietly missed some tags and stuff so those will be edited later on! third of all, i love feedback and constructive critism and theories so please feel free to leave some down in the comments for me!! finally, before we start, there will be death and violence towards both humans and dinosaurs so please be prepared for that!

“I have my rights, sir..,” Eddie’s voice was surprisingly calm despite the fact there was a group of large cops surrounding him. “We’re not blocking traffic nor have we stopped anyone from going into the park or obstructed their way in.” He spoke to the cop in the front, who was decently tall and rather beefy, topped with a swoop of dirty blond hair. The name on his tag was Hanscom, which he already knew because it wasn’t the first time they’d come face to face. Ben Hanscom was the chief of Isla Nublar Security and Eddie Kaspbrak was the face of the infamous Dinosaur Protection Group protests. “Listen Mr. Hanscom, sir, this is my first amendment right.” Technically, since he and the rest of the protest group were on the ferry landing, they were on American territory, so he was right to claim his amendment rights. Though he was sure the court system would let Jurassic World do what they wanted with him as not to piss off the CEO and lose the huge profit they ultimately gained from the company. 

 

He was also right in the sense that he really hadn’t created any obstruction nor had he any time before then, so Ben’s bosses had chosen to ignore the protesters. Until now. A big mistake with how quickly attendance was decreasing.

 

“We understand, Mr. Kaspbrak. We’re not asking you to leave. None of you have to leave. One of my bosses has asked me to escort you to his office inside the park. He would like to speak with you about your work,” the cop dragged a hand through his dirty blonde hair before scratching at the stubble that was scattered around his jaw nicely. “We’ll bring you right back and you can continue. My word.”

 

The short man who had been bristling, ready to break his calm demeanor and start a fight if that was what he needed to do, calmed. Eddie knew Ben Hanscom owed him nothing and had every right to be rude and cruel towards him. He was after all the reason Ben was constantly outside with the sun beating down on his black uniform, forced to listen to a roaring crowd of protestors, instead of sitting inside in air conditioning. Ben had every right to hate Eddie but he didn’t. He actually had a sort of soft spot for the shorter man, holding great respect for the way he fought for what he believed in so fiercely. So much respect that he often found himself handing a water bottle to lead protest on particularly hot days or offering him a kind smile. 

 

“Alright,” Eddie agreed because yet again after Eddie had caused him trouble, Ben was being courteous by offering him his word that once he was done talking to whoever he’d be brought right back out to shout in Ben and the rest of the cops face until it was time for the last ferry to leave.

 

And so Eddie ducked under the ropes that blocked them off from guests, looking over at his assistant who was already directing the crowd in chants with his megaphone. Ben lead him the monorail and they climbed onto the train. It was a short ride and soon they were climbing off the train. 

 

Eddie was struck with strong deja vu as he walked through the truly magnificent gates to the park. As much as there was a deep disdain for the park routed inside him, it’s architecture was stunning, there was no denying that. He did feel a little ridiculous though as he was shot back to the way his younger self had been snapping pictures, starstruck. He was still in awe of the huge stone structure, but he knew what was hidden behind the beauty of the park now. Anyone could see it if they looked through the right lens.

 

Instead of going into the Innovation Center, Ben led him over to a golf cart that was waiting for them on a path blocked off for employees only. Ben gestured for him to climb into the passenger seat with a friendly smile and Eddie mumbled a ‘thanks’ out of habit, breaking the extended silence that had fallen over their journey. 

 

But it came back just as quickly as it had been interrupted and they traveled the rest of the way to back entrance to the same building they had just avoided. Ben parked the golf cart in a row of other golf carts that were all painted the same way in the park’s colors with STAFF in bold letters on the back. They both climbed off of the vehicle and Ben led Eddie to the sliding doors which opened once he scanned his keycard.

 

The lobby of the back entrance was empty and lonely despite the amount of carts that had been outside, along with a good amount of cars in the parking lot behind. So was the elevator which was on its way heading to floor eleven. Once again, Ben had scanned his keycard to get the buttons to work. Not much had changed there either. Security had been heavy and paranoid even back then.

 

Eddie was ripped out of his thoughts by the ding that sounded once their ride had arrived at its destination. Ben gripped his shoulder and suddenly Eddie felt like he was in trouble after all, the larger man steering him out of the elevator and down the silent hallway. They approached a door at the very end of the hall, Ben letting go of his shoulder once they got there so he could over Eddie and knock.

 

“Come in,” a muffled voice called and Ben nodded at Eddie.

 

“Go in,” Ben echoed. “I’ll be right out here.”   


 

Eddie swallowed thickly and set his hand on the handle, pushing down to open the door and walk into whatever the fuck kind of meeting this was going to be.

 

He was stopped right in his tracks because out of all the things he imagined, he’d never imagined this. Eddie felt his heart leap into his throat and he choked on it as he stared at the man in front of him with big eyes. He hadn’t changed a fucking bit.

 

“Richie Tozier.” He took the words right out of Eddie’s mouth as he stuck out a hand for Eddie to shake. He was glad that Richie had spoke first though. He probably wouldn’t have been able to spit the name out, tongue growing heavier and heavier as he kept staring at the familiar man in front of him.

 

He had changed a little, Eddie decided because he started to notice little differences the longer he stared. He was still ridiculously tall and lanky, but now there was a certain elegance and thee was the definition of muscle in his arms. He was still so gorgeous too. Eddie’s eyes trailed over the face that the other man had grown into beautifully, jaw line no longer looking too sharp to belong and cheek bones no longer looking awkward or out of place. He was less pale too, a tan hiding behind the many freckles that decorated his cheeks. And fuck his eyes, Eddie didn’t remember them being so vivid and full of life. Animated, sure, but his memory hadn’t done the gorgeous, dark eyes any justice. Maybe the giant frames he’d worn then had dulled them down. His style seemed to have developed as well. The ratty hawaiian shirts and jeans where replaced with black dress pants and a white button up with sleeves pushed up above his elbows. 

 

“Helloooo?” Eddie snapped to attention, shaking his head to snap himself out of it. A light pink color tinted his cheek as he realized that the large hand that had been offered to him was now waving in his face. He tucked a curl behind his ear subconsciously. 

 

“S-Sorry, it’s just been a long time,” Eddie spoke in a soft voice, pausing as he looked at Richie with nervous but fond eyes. “It’s...you look great, Richie.” Eddie stuck his hands into the back pockets of his jeans, giving him a shy smile as he scuffed his toe against the linoleum tiling floor, suddenly feeling like he’d gone back in time to his awkward highschool days.  

 

“Excuse me?” Richie cocked his head, picking up the half empty glass around and spinning it around to stir the liquid that sat inside before he sipped at it. Eddie coughed awkwardly and Richie must have took that as some kind of hint. “Oh.  _ Oh.  _ Have we met before?” He winked at Eddie saucily, playful grin displaying teeth that were just too big for his mouth.

 

Eddie just stared at him.    


“I’m Eddie Kaspbrak.”    


“Yeah, I know, honey,” Richie looked at him like he was stupid or maybe just insane and Eddie cringed. He glanced down at where his hands where now sat in front of him, wringing together pathetically. “The head of the Dinosaur Protection Group.” Richie had sat his drink down so he was able to make sarcastic jazz hands as he stated Eddie’s title, venom seeping into his tone. “That’s precisely why you’re up here,” he said, almost accusingly. 

 

Eddie’s heart was skipping beats like no tomorrow as he shook his head. “No, Rich,” Eddie chuckled uncomfortably, brows furrowing a little as the corner of his mouth quirked up into a confused, forced smile. “Eddie Kaspbrak as in Eds.” His smile got soft and genuine and shy again at the nickname he had pretended to hate so much even though he knew he was going to say it. His eyes flicked back up to see the look of realization he just knew would be spreading over Richie’s face. But it wasn’t there and he still had that god awful judgemental look on his face instead. Eddie bit his tongue to hold in the whimper that was forming at the back of his throat, eyes watering slightly.

 

“You don’t remember me?” 

 

Richie’s judgmental look turned to one of pity and something else when Eddie’s voice wavered and then cracked. “No? Should I?”

 

Eddie’s flip switched in a manner of seconds. He wasn’t good win pity. “Fuck you, Tozier,” Eddie snapped, stepping forwards and slamming his hands onto the desk that separated them. “Of course, you’d pull this shit! You’ve always been just another selfish asshole!” The rest went unsaid as he pointed an accusing finger at Richie, but his hand was shaking hard so he snapped it back to the desk. “Fuck,” he whispered to himself after what felt like even more years of radio silence between them. 

 

“Whoa, sweetheart,” Richie put his hands up as if he was trying to calm a spooked horse, backing up slowly as he made the first move. Eddie felt his heart seize at the nickname and he brought one of his hands to the left side of his chest as if that would stop the aching. The other stayed braced on the desk, staring at Richie with a weakening fire dancing in his eyes. “Okay look, security brought you up here, honey. They can come and have you leave. We‘ve been much kinder than we needed to be with you, with all your goddamn protests and such. You’ve brought down our numbers a lot and I did not bring you up here to argue. So take a deep breath and calm down, sweetheart.” 

 

Eddie knew Richie was right. But fuck, it hurt. How dare he act like all the history between them had never happened. His hand slowly released the dark wood of the desk, collapsing back into the chair behind him. He felt like he was floating through a nightmare. 

 

He felt like he was floating through a nightmare because he realized the question wasn’t how could he pretend. It was how could he forget. Because Eddie couldn’t and god, had he tried. He didn’t want to remember. Not when he woke up from dreams that showed him everything that could have been. Not when his newest one nightstand fucked him into the mattress while he thought about how he’d had better, no matter how long ago it had been. No matter what he did, he couldn’t fucking forget. 

 

Eddie’s grief hung in the air. It was heavy on both of their shoulders, even if Eddie as the only one who looked it. Richie broke the building suspense by walking over to the small bar cart that sat pressed up against the wall. Eddie didn’t bother to turn and watch him go, instead pressing the back of his forearm to his tired eyes. He didn’t need to as he listened to the soft clinking of glass bottles being just barely knocked together by large hands that ghosted over them delicately. Eddie could feel Richie trying to read him from the back, the piercing but presumably soft look boring a hole into the back of his head. “What do you drink?”

 

Eddie let out a defeated sigh. “I don’t.”

 

“Alright.” He didn’t even sound annoyed, the tone of his voice closer to compassion over anything else and it made Eddie’s heart squeeze again. “Well..,” Richie trailed off as he let his fingers slip from the bottles, making them bump against each other harder. Eddie let his eyes slide shut and his head tip back, lolling on his neck slightly as he listened to the sound of the bottles wobbling before finally settling in their place. And the sound of Richie’s footsteps itching closer to him. Eddie tensed up when a large hand clapped down onto his shoulder, the finger squeezing his flesh gently through his shirt. An overwhelming sense of nostalgia and loss rushed over him like a riptide. He took in a sharp breath too as his jaw locked up painfully.  _ It’s been eleven years, Tozier, how can you still have such a hold on me? _

 

“I brought you up here I wanted to show you something. It’ll help you understand what we do here. And maybe it’ll help you change your mind about us.” 

 

Eddie understood what they did here just fine and he wasn’t going to change his mind. Long ago, Eddie had thought the park was genius, but now he knew the truth.

  
  
  
  
  



	2. 'genius'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi im a stupid idiot for not posting until more than a month after the first chapter but i had a show i was in, a vacation, and i moved so it wasn't for nothing, but anyways!! this chapter is a little something different from the first one and many other chapters will be structured like this! again i love feedback so please leave some for me!! in the next chapter we'll actually see dinosaurs so get excited!!

Eddie was shocked to see that Richie had worked his way up to what had to be the highest tier of the Jurassic World food chain. Or at least, close to that. He was probably a velociraptor to Masrani’s tyrannosaurus rex if Eddie thought about it in dinosaur terms. Things has always made more sense in dinosaur terms to Eddie. Plus, the comparison was perfect. Richie had become a top dog predator with plenty of herbivores beneath him to snack on. If he was honest, he really hadn’t expected Richie to last long. Or perhaps that been wishful thinking stemming from the lasting bitterness that has clouded his judgment. He supposed he couldn’t deny that Rich had always been a ‘genius’. Just like him.

***  
_june first, 2004_

_To say he was nervous was an gross understatement. Eddie’s heart was nearly leaping out of his chest as the open jeep climbed closer and closer to the iconic stone gates. He set a hand over his chest to try and still the jumping animal inside his chest when the hammering again his rib cage was began to ache. It also took a great effort to not pee himself out of pure adulterated joy. This was his dream. This was the dream. And it was about to become real._  
_He hadn’t expected to be accepted into the internship program his paleontology professor had forced him to apply for. Not in the slightest. He hadn’t even been sure what it was for. Sure, he’d had his guesses but he didn’t want to get over excited. It wouldn't be fun for anyone if he found out that he was denied by a shitty robot dinosaur museum with two green anoles from Petco for him to watch. But the fact that the company had stayed anonymous made him think it could be more. He hadn't let himself fully believe it though. Eddie had a habit of wishing too hard and too big, convincing himself that things were going to happen when they just weren’t. He got his hopes up for them to be crushed every time. This was an outlier in his field of dream data._  
_Eddie majored in animal biology and in biochemistry with the plan to become a veterinarian, preferably one for exotic animals or even better a vet at a rescue zoo. But truely, his passion since he was a small child had always been dinosaurs. His father, Frank, had gotten him a encyclopedia on dinosaurs shortly before passing away. It was a large black hardcover book with something around 500 pages. Despite the thick book being far too advanced for a seven year old to comprehend, Eddie read it at least once everyday. Little knobby-knees Eddie Kaspbrak had dragged that book every where he toddled, clutching it to his chest like a lifeline. Over time, he managed to make sense of most of the topics in his head. Though the book would always be his favorite, he got bored of rereading the same knowledge quickly. He craved more. He was quick to insist on renting more dinosaur books, movies too. He threw a fit over every dinosaur toy and plush and poster his mother didn't immediately purchase for him. He wanted to visit the local museum every weekend. He wanted to know **everything** he could.  
Eddie’s mother told him he was a ‘genius’ because of that. She whispered it into his ear over and over again as the wide-eyed little boy blinked up at her from where he was seated on her fat knee. The book made him a genius according to Sonia, ranting about how amazing her precious little Eddie-Bear was to anyone that listened. His teachers told him he was a genius too. And the kids around him. He was ‘gifted’ or at least, that’s what he was repeatedly told to believe. He didn’t really feel gifted though. Eddie just felt like an average kid who had learned fast and spouted knowledge faster all thanks to his dead dad._  
_None of that mattered though. He’d gotten exactly where he wanted to be and that’s all that counted to him, ‘genius’ or not. The Jeep had traveled down a handful of long dirt roads which gave Eddie a good chunk of time to wind himself up. He was shaking by the time his escort led him through a parking lot filled with the same Jeeps, a few motorcycles, and expensive cars to a large plain building. Soon enough, he found himself in a room filled with other young men and women in work casual clothes. He lifted his trembling hands to straighten his tie as he stepped into the room, worrying his lip between his teeth. The door slammed shut behind him. He turned his head to look for the escort that had greeted him at the ferry and drove him the rest of the way into the park. But she was gone and he shuffled forward to place himself further into the room. He looked around skittishly, never one to be good at making friends. Luckily, that problem was solved for him as a hand was shoved into his face._  
_The boy holding out an incredibly large hand to him was pretty ugly in every sense of the oxymoron. There was a halo of rather wild and knotted curls that probably hadn’t been washed in months frizzing about his head and large coke-bottle glasses that made his eyes look about three sizes too big for his face perched on the also large and very freckled sunburnt nose. Eddie thought to himself that everything about this boy had to be large. He also had sparkling big brown eyes that were filled with life and surrounded by long eyelashes that batted patiently. Eddie stifled a giggle at the ridiculous smile full of too big teeth, featuring two big teeth at the very front of his mouth. His eyes glanced down at the name plate pinned on the other boy’s breast. Richie Tozier. It suited him. He slipped his much smaller hand into the other’s.  
“How ever wonderful it is to meet you, fine sir,” Richie said in some kind of terrible accent that Eddie couldn’t place. Eddie’s hand was dragged to the other young man’s mouth so a sloppy and wet kiss could be placed into the back of it. Eddie’s cheeks burned brightly and he went to yank his hand back but Richie had started a proper handshake with him. Eddie couldn’t help the snort that escaped him once Richie’s speed and force grew enough to shake his shoulder too.  
“Jesus.” Eddie weaseled his hand loose from the tight grip it had been entrapped in. Richie’s hand was rough with cracks and splits but Eddie hadn’t minded. He just didn’t know where those worn hands or that slobbery mouth had been. It made him twitch, the way his hand was still wet with spit and the way germs could easily be jumping from hand to hand like children crossing a river on stepping stones. The added discomfort of being thrown around by a handshake most definitely increased his need to be released.  
“I wouldn’t say I’m Jesus. Maybe a_ _sex god, but definitely not the Lord almighty himself.” Eddie crossed his arms with a terribly unimpressed look aimed upwards. Richie’s humongous grin seemed to only grow at the annoyed stare that was shot at him. “What? I’m hilarious. But seriously, it’s nice to meet ‘cha, Eds. Oh and the name is Richie, plain and simple. No need to refer to me by my formal title.”_  
 _“Eds?” Eddie glanced to make sure his name tag said Edward and not anything else. He raised his eyebrow once he confirmed that it did, somehow looking even more judgmental than before._  
“ _Eds,” Richie confirmed with a big grin. Eddie opened his mouth to let out whatever witty comment came to him first. Sadly, he was undermined by a voice from the front of the room. He and Richie both spun on their feet to see who was speaking. It was a pleasant but professional looking woman. She had glasses and blonde hair, clad in a white pantsuit and very impractical white heels to match._  
“ _Good morning! And welcome to your Jurassic World internship.” Her voice was light and friendly as she spoke to the young adults gathered in the room. Eddie was, of course, planning to listen to her. He was distracted the instant he felt a lanky arm slithering around his neck and settling on his shoulders. He was suddenly tucked into the side of none other Richie, which he could tell from the stink of cheap cologne. He looked up, just to make sure. Sure enough, he saw the now familiar buck-toothed smile fixed on the front of the room. The corners of his lips tugged up a bit into a fond look. At least he’d made a friend, even if he was a bit unusual. He lowered his head to Richie’s chest and listened to the other boy’s heartbeat instead of the welcoming lecture._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! i hope you enjoyed!!


	3. raptors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi it’s been fucking forever again im the worst sorry but it’s okay because this is a long one and it has dinosaurs!! i thought i would post this before i went on vacation and hopefully ill have two chapters by the time i come back!

The golf cart ride had been silent. Richie had gotten into the driver’s seat and turned the key in the ignition without a word. It left Eddie to decide where to sit. The backseat was a good option. He and Richie would have space. They wouldn’t have to talk to each other. But maybe Richie wanted to talk to him. And maybe he wanted to talk to Richie. So he slid into the front seat, bridging one of the many gaps that would cross their path.

 

As they rode along, Eddie flashed back to just a few minutes prior. Richie led him out of the office and Ben had immediately perked up from where he’d been leaning against the wall. Ben opened his mouth, taking one large step towards them. Richie waved him off though, flopping his large hand around. “Eds is coming with me,” Richie told him. “But thank you.”

 

Eddie’s stomach plummeted at the old nickname. He had stopped in his tracks and Ben looked at him like he’d gone white. He probably had. Eddie swallowed his pride and his emotions though, starting to walk again. Ben’s face changed into a more approving look, a sweet smile that said you got this and then he had mouthed ‘I better not see you later, Kaspbrak’.  

 

“We’re here.”

 

Richie’s voice drew Eddie forth from his thoughts as Ben’s smile faded into a large metal structure. “You’re really going to like this.” Eddie wasn’t so sure about that.

 

Richie led Eddie up a ladder onto one of the perches built over the structure. Thin metal walkways ran all around the pen, tall railings lining them. Eddie looked around inside. There was a dirt ground with prehistoric foliage placed selectively around. He presumed he was doing to see some kind of dinosaur Richie had created, then probably witness some kind of abuse against it. He was peering over the edge skeptically when Richie took his hand.

 

“Wait here,” Richie told him, placing Eddie's hand on the metal railing with a squeeze before patting it. He left Eddie by himself to go talk to a group of men that seemed like they had been waiting for his arrival. It wasn't long before they were all rushing off places, seemingly in preparation. Eddie watched as Richie put on a belt and went to the main catwalk, which had a bucket tied onto the top pole of the railing. He was standing there waiting for probably a minute when the squeals of a pig filled the air.

 

Eddie watched as a pink blur dashed by chased after by a pack of velociraptors. Eddie gasped, covering his mouth with one hand to hold back delighted squeals. Velociraptors were probably his favorite carnivorous dinosaur although he wouldn’t admit it because they were too obvious of a choice. He also wouldn’t admit the way his eyes had filled up with tears. They were stunning, a perfect gainsborough gray with a streak of dark slate blue running along their backs. Their tails were characteristically long and so were their extended, upturned snouts. He couldn’t believe his eyes.

 

“Hey, hey,” Richie called for their attention and the dinosaurs immediately looked up, stopping their hissing and trilling. Richie was standing with one hand on his belt bag and the other splayed in the air. The hand that had been on his belt bag lifted to display a clicker, like one used to train a cat or a dog. “Okay!” Click. “Eyes on me! Blue.” Click, Click, Click. Only one of the dinosaurs was looking away, letting out a few squawks. “Blue!” She looked up at him, letting out a huff through her nostrils. Click. “Watch it.” That made Eddie giggle a little as he admired Richie interact with the dinosaurs. Richie’s finger moved from where it had been pointed at Blue to another one of the raptors. “Charlie, hey hey, don’t give me that shit,”  Click, Click. “Delta,” he interrupted another dinosaur during their hissing. “Lock it up,” he warned.

 

They all were looking up at him again, suddenly less restless. “Goooood,” he drew out the praise with a few more clicks. His free hand lifted into the air in the shape of a fist. “And we’re moving.” Richie started to lead them along the catwalk, the raptors chirping and snapping at each other. He got to another bucket and shouted, “Hold!” They all paused in an almost diamond-like formation and went silent after a few more noises. “Okay, that’s good. That is damn good.” He emphasized what he’d said with a few more clicks before reaching into the bucket. One of the raptors started to growl. “Very good. See! Charlie,” Richie pulled out a dead rat, throwing it down to the growling dino. He called Delta and Echo’s names before tossing them each a rat too. “Blue,” he paused, the raptor calling out in response. “This one’s for you.” He tossed it down and she caught it, chomping down on it with some happy noises. He waited for Blue to finish before instructing them to hold again.

 

“Eyes up,” Richie called, clicking and lifting his hand with only two fingers stuck out. They did as they were told and then he released them by telling them to go and dropping his hand. They all ran away and Eddie started clapping a little, absolutely stunned by the display.

 

Richie grinned over at Eddie with a giant and dorky smile on his face. It tugged at Eddie’s heartstrings and he started over to gush about how amazing the display was. He let his grudge slip away for now. This is what he had imagined doing when he came to Jurassic World. He’d wanted to bond with these creatures and take care of them. And that’s exactly what Richie was doing. He was part of their pack.

 

All of this was felt very nostalgic, enough to make Eddie have to stop himself for thinking about it so he wouldn’t get choked up. As he got to where Richie stood, looking proud of himself, he opened his mouth to start when Richie’s name was being boomed from a few feet away. “Tozier! I was starting to think Masrani recommended the wrong asshole, but, shit, you got them eating out of your damn hand!” A large and ugly man was approaching them, somehow managing to be an ungodly three to four inches taller than Richie. He had a large smirk on his face that made Eddie uncomfortable. Instinctively, Eddie stepped closer to Richie’s side. He was surprised to feel a large hand coming to rest on his back, but he didn't protest because this new man was unsettling him.

 

“You came on a good day. It's not usually a happy ending,” Richie replied somberly, nudging Eddie a bit closer to him.

 

“Is that why you're not sending in your reports?” Henry’s smile darkened into a sneer that put Eddie further on edge. Eddie looked to Richie, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

 

“I've been busy. I help run this place if you didn't know.” Richie’s tone turned cooler as his eyes slit in Henry’s direction.

 

“Not too busy to cash your fucking paychecks,” Henry shot back, clearly proud of himself for the quip as he squared out his shoulders.

 

“What's got your panties in a fucking twist, Henry?”

 

“Watch it,” Henry hissed, tensing and stepping closer to Richie threateningly.

 

Richie let out a breath, wetting his lips with his tongue. “What do you need, buddy?” Richie’s tone was sickly sweet as he batted his lashes in an exaggerated manner, continuing to poke the bear. His chest had puffed up though, shoulders falling back as his fingers twitched against Eddie’s back. Eddie knew that Richie was losing control over his anger fast, fretting silently.

 

“A field test,” Henry responded between gritted teeth. “They can respond to commands, I just seen it myself. We need to get the research done and get this on its feet.”

 

“Look, Henry. These are wild animals.” Richie gestured toward the velociraptors with his free hand and then brought his hand to rest on his own chest. “Trust me. You don't want them in the field.”

 

“I just saw a fucking bond. A real ass bond. Between man and beast. You being the beast, of course,” Henry cackled to himself.  

 

A low snarling noise formed in the back of Eddie’s throat because this man was clearly trying to insult Richie, not lighten the mood with a joke. “Richie, you can't let him-” Eddie began to interject urgently but Richie cut him off with surprisingly gentle shushing. Richie steered Eddie forwards, the large hand having moved to the curve of his waist. The third man shuffled into the middle of their path and puffed out his chest, not ready for the conversation to be over.

 

“You're in our way, Bowers,” Richie growled. There was an intense amount of animosity in his voice that hadn’t been there when he’d quieted Eddie a second ago. The tension in the air was zapping at Eddie’s arms like static and making the hair at the back of his neck bristle.

 

“Cmon, Tozier. We're the same.” Henry gestured between his chest and Richie’s. “We're both businessmen. We know that the military needs to reduce casualties. Some people think that fuckin’ robots are the future. But no! Nature gave us the most effective killing machines 75 fuckin’ million years ago! And now we know they can take orders!”

 

Richie snorted, then began to scoff at Henry, “We finally make progress and that’s what you say? Turn them into a weapon?”

 

Eddie couldn’t hold himself back at the idea they would throw these poor creatures into combat. The idea made him sick. “Richie, please-” Eddie begged.

 

“Eds, hold on, please,” Richie insisted. Eddie was taken aback by the appearance of his old nickname again, staring up at Richie with a mix of emotions too confusing to decipher.

 

“C'mon on, Tozer. It's fucking grown-up time.” Bowers gave Eddie an incredibly nasty and, in a completely disturbing way, hungry look. Richie retreated, moving his hand to grab Eddie’s elbow and pull the smaller man behind his back. Richie’s hand didn’t leave Eddie’s arm even after he was tucked behind Richie, long fingers holding the small man in place loosely. “Drones can't search tunnels and caves. And they’re hackable. The minute a real war breaks out, all that fancy ass tech is gonna go dark.”

 

“But that tech’s not gonna eat them if they forget to feed it, Henry!” Richie’s voice went higher as he got more and more exasperated with the facts the man couldn’t seem to understand basic principles.

 

“Look at those bastards!” Henry shouted and stabbed a fat finger through the air in the direction of the velociraptors. “They've got millions of years of pure instinct in their cells, instinct that we can fuckin’ program! Their loyalty can't be bought. These fuckers are gonna run straight into the enemy’s teeth and eat ‘em, belt fucking buckle and all!” Henry seemed all too pleased with the idea of people being ripped to pieces and then eaten.

 

“Yeah, and what if they decide they wanna be in control?” Richie countered, raising both eyebrows at Henry.

 

“Well, then we fucking remind ‘em who is who,” Henry exclaimed, stabbing his sausage finger into Richie’s chest this time. “We terminate the fucking bastards. Promote only loyal bitches!”

 

Eddie hissed like an angry balloon, tugging on Richie’s shirt hard so that the taller man would let him intervene. But Richie didn’t seem as disturbed as Eddie was at the mention of killing the velociraptors. He was laughing at what Henry said, cackling even.

 

“What?” Henry looked a bit confused and frustrated that Richie found what he said was amusing. “What's so funny?”

 

“I don't know, Hen. Maybe it's that you come here and you don't learn anything about these animals except what you wanna know. You made them, and now you think you own them.”

 

“We do own the bastards,” Henry dragged the words out as if they were obvious. Extinct animals have no rights!”

 

“Oh, no fuck he didn't,” Eddie piped up again.

 

“They're not extinct anymore, Bowers,” Richie said. This was a new tone to the conversation. It was finite and solid. Inarguable. Richie’s hand squeezed around Eddie’s elbow almost tenderly

 

Yet, Henry found some way to argue. “Ex-fuckin-actly, Tozier! We're sitting on a fuckin’ goldmine and Masrani is using it to stock a crappy petting zoo!” Eddie could agree with that on some level. “He just wants to teach people some fuckin humility.” Never mind, Eddie thought to himself. “He doesn't make weapons. You think that the eight richest fuckers in the world are only into oil, telecom, and family fun parks? He's so diversified, he doesn't even know what he owns. How long has InGen been practicing this fucking pitch, you ask? Since the day you started double timing for us and Masrani.” Eddie swallowed tightly, acid crawling up his throat. “You knew the endgame, Tozier. These bastards can replace thousands of boots on the ground! How much fuckin money would that save? War is part of nature. Look around, Tozier. Every living thing in this jungle is trying to murder the fuckin’ other. Mother Nature’s way of testing her creations. Refining the pecking order. War is a fuckin struggle. Struggle breeds good ass results. Without that, we end up places like this, charges seven bucks a fuckin soda. What the hell is up with that Tozier?” Henry looked as if he’d give himself a trophy if he could.

 

“Do you hear yourself when you talk, Bowers? I thought with your dumbo ears you could, but I’m beginning to think you need a cleaning.” Richie brought a fisted hand with his pinkie stuck out to his mouth. He wrapped his tongue around it obscenely, before leaning in and gesturing cleaning out Henry’s ear.

 

Henry growled, grabbing Richie’s hand and pulling it down and away from his ear. The corner of his lip was tugging up into a snarl. “ This is gonna happen,” Henry foreboded, his sausage fingers applying more and more pressure to Richie’s wrist. “With or without you, Tozier. Progress always wins, asshole.” Richie’s face was beginning to look pained just as Henry stopped crushing his wrist, releasing it from his grasp. Eddie could feel the anger exuding off of Richie, looking up at the man and wetting his lips nervously.

 

“Maybe I’ll just fuckin change that,” Richie let go of Eddie’s arm to step forwards so he could get in Henry’s face.

 

“Pig Loose! Pig Loose!” Richie whirled around just in time to see an idiot intern getting pulled into the pen. Eddie gasped in horror, though he was thankful for the distraction. The fight between Richie and the other man had on the verge of being physical. Something told Eddie, maybe the visible veins tracking through Henry’s brutish arms, that Richie would have lost.

 

The intern hit the ground hard and the raptors’ attention quickly switched to him instead of the pig. It was a horrible, terrifying scene to watch. The dinosaurs were approaching the kid, barking, and bellowing. The kid scrambled backward, audibly panting. Richie ran and Eddie darted after him. They ran along the catwalk and Richie swiftly unlocked a hatch that opened to stairs. The stairs led into a small gated room and when they reached the bottom, Richie surged forwards, hitting a button that lifted the gate. He crouched by the door and peered inside.

 

When it hit Eddie what was happening, he screamed, grabbing for Richie’s arm to stop him. “Richie! No!” But it was too late, Richie was diving under the barely open gate, ruining his white shirt and nice slacks as he army crawled the rest of the way through.

 

Richie moved into the pen as men raced onto the scaffolding armed with stun guns. They spread themselves out along the scaffolding, aiming for the raptors. Eddie watched in devastation, simultaneously running back up the stairs onto the catwalk himself while raising a hand to try and distract the men. He couldn’t let the poor animals get hurt on his watch. Meanwhile, Richie was running towards the raptors, placing himself between them and the kid. He had a hand in the air just like Eddie, yelling towards the men on the catwalks.

 

“No, no, no! Hold your fire, assholes! Hold your fire! Do not fire!” Richie glanced back at Eddie, their eyes locking for a second before he went back to distracting the men with weapons and the dinosaurs. Richie took a second to stretch his free hand out as a means to keep the raptors at bay and calm them. Once they had backed off a little with hissing and skeptical looks, he spoke again. His voice was calmer but still urgent. “Put 12 amps in these animals and they're never gonna trust me again.” The hand that had been in the air had shot down to stop the raptor who’d started to circle him in their tracks.

 

“Please listen to him,” Eddie begged from where he stood by the gate, eyes widened with fear for velociraptors. He waited for the men to lower their guns before heading back to the gated room. The kid had scooted his way close enough to the gate for Eddie to pull him in. The kid gasped out a few thank yous before stumbling his way over to the corner and sinking down into it.

 

“Blue, stand down.” Richie had lowered the hand held out to his side, focusing his gaze on the raptor in front of him. “Stand down,” he said pointedly. The raptor snarled in response, lunging forwards and snapping at the air. “Hey, hey!” Richie retreated slightly, now longer crouching as low as he had been before. “What did I just fucking say?” The hand at his side went back up, the dinosaurs creeping a bit closer as their tails whipped. Blue let out another noise as one of the other raptors started to circle again. “Delta, I see you. Back up,” Richie instructed, looking to his left at the other raptor and giving her a look. Delta growled in response but she stopped, taking a step back. Okay, good. Good,” Richie said, a bit like he was comforting himself more the dinosaurs as he walked backward. The hand in front of him went out to his right side, the dinosaurs continuing to squawk at him and advance. Charlie? Stay right fucking there,” Richie’s head moved to the right this time, eyebrows raised. “Good.” His eyes went up for a second, meeting Henry’s. The man was leaning over the railing and he looked far too excited. Richie’s right hand went back in front of him as his left hand lowered.

 

“Close the gate, Eddie.”

 

“Are you fucking crazy?! Hell no!” Eddie’s eyes were huge with disbelief. Richie couldn’t hold them off forever.

 

“Just trust me!” Eddie opened his mouth to say something. He wanted to trust Richie badly but he wasn’t sure now was the time to take a bet on Richie’s judgment. Not when it had failed them both before.

 

“Close the damn gate,” the kid howled from where he was crumpled in the corner. So Eddie listened and slammed his hand onto the red button. He and the kid watched in despair as the gate slowly started to close, Eddie wanting nothing more than to run in there and pull Richie to safety. But all of a sudden instead of backing up, Richie was diving under the closing gate. He managed to roll in just in time, the dinosaurs chasing after him but getting trapped behind the thick metal bars. Eddie was immediately upon him.

 

“Rich, holy fuck-”

 

“I'm okay, Eds,” Richie assured, looking up at Eddie with an incredibly soft expression that made Eddie’s heart flutter. “You're the new guy, right?” Richie dropped his eyes back to the kid after the question left him to make sure he knew he was being addressed.

 

“Yeah.” The kid replied from where he was still in the corner of the gate, trembling like a leaf. Richie pushed himself to his feet, using Eddie’s bicep and then shoulder to reach his full height. Eddie immediately began to check Richie’s arms for any injuries out of habit, even though there were none for him to find. Richie looked at the kid with a stern look, his face set grimly.

 

“You ever wonder why there was a job opening, kiddo,” Richie drawled as he stood up, brushing Eddie and then his slacks off. “Don't ever fucking turn your back to the cage.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading! feedback is greatly welcomed

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading!!


End file.
